Tree-felling machine.



PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907.

A. V. SNOW. TREE FBLLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 17, 1906.

UNITED sTA srnrENT oFFIoE.

ASA V. SNOW, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

TREE-FELLING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 12, 1907.

I Application filed March 17, 1906. Serial No. 306,569.

of which the following is a specification.

. same.

This invention relates to a tree-felling machine of the portable type and embodying an endless or chain saw supported in horizontal position by an extension-bar, which is adjustable or movable on an upright and actuated by suitable motive means.

The object of the invention is to provide simple, durable, and economic tree-felling means which will erform its work more rapidly and effective y than the ordinary saw, and thereby facilitate the felling of trees, and to which power may be applied either through belting or by means of an electric motor operated from the running parts of an ordina sawmill.

The invention will be more fully herein: after set forth in detail,reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation/of a tree-felling machine embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2' is a top plan view of the Fig. 3 is an end e vation thereof. Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. I

The numeral 1 designates an u right of any suitable length and provide with a lower pointed end 2 to adapt it to be thrust firmly into the ground. T e upright 1 has an upper handle or ip 3 to facilitate placement thereof. On t e upri ht 1 a sleeve 4 is adapted to be rotated and a so vertically adjusted and is preferably provided with a setscrew 5 for holdin it ata'desired elevation. Projecting outwar ly from the said sleeve is a bar or support 6, from the outer end of which rises a vertical stub-shaft 7, on which is rotatably disposed a s rocket-wheel 8. On the bar or support 6, a jacent to the upright 1, a stub-shaft 9 also projects upwardly, and thereover is applied a sleeve or analogous rotating devicelO, to which is attached a sprocket-wheel 11, the sleeve being preferably-operated by an electr c motor 12, receiving its current from a suitable generating medium operated at a dlstance by the movable parts of a sawmill or by any-other motive ower. Traversing or surrounding the sproc et-wheels 8 and 11 1s an endless or chain saw 13, having teeth at regular intervals of any preferred form. The intermediate portion of the bar or sup ort 6 is struck u wardly in a plane coinci ent with the p ane of the saw 13 to form a guide 14, which moves through the saw-kerf or regularly follows the cutting or active portion of the saw 2 to keep the saw in proper position with respect to the tree belng cut andalsoto hold t 6 several parts carried by the bar or support insuch manner as to resist strain thereof uring the o eration of the saw. The bar or support 6 a sohas one extremity 15. projected outwardly beyond the sleeve 4 and provided with a counterbalancing-weight 16,

which also overcomes any tendency of the devices carried by-the bar or support from misshaping or'depressing the latter;

In the operation of the device the upright 1, which is preferably formed of steel or some other hard metal, is forced into the ground adjacent to the lower portion of the trunk of the tree adapted to be felled, and the bar or support 6 is swung around until the adjacent portion of the saw 13 contacts .with the tree. The motor 12 is then set'in operation by the medium of a switch,which may be suitably located thereon or on some part of the upright 1, if desired, and as the saw. progresses the bar or support will be moved gradually to compensate for the depth of the kerf formed by the saw, the necessary pivot action of the mechanism being obtained through the movement of the upright 1 in the ground and in view of the fact that the collar 4 is secured to said upright by the set-screw 5, and this operation Wlll be continued until the tree is out through, when the motor .will be stopped and the movement of the saw conse uently checked. The felling-maehine may t on be uickly disengaged from position adjacent to t e stumpand moved to another point in operative relation to another tree. in falling will be guided in the usual manner, so as to avoid in'ury to the machine.

The improve device will be found exceptionally convenient, and instead of motive.

power for drivin the endless or chain saw hand-power can e substituted, as in some uses it may not be practicable to connect the machine withany motive ower in view of ossible distance from the atter. It is also- Intended to use this machine in some instances to cut up trunks or lo s and to dispose the same so that the sproc et-wheels Wlll be arranged vertically. This change of position.

"he tree tion of an upright, a support vertically movable on the upright, an endless or chain saw carried by the said support, means for operating the saw, and a counterbalarming-weight secured to the support on the opposite side of the upright from the saw and remaining mechanism.

suitable teeth sel 1 l I 2. In a tree-felling machine, the combination of an upright having a pointed end, a support movably held by the upright, an end less orchain saw disposed on the support, the latter having a portion thereof extending longitudinally between the parallel portions of the saw and in the same lane as the latter to form a guide, 'IIIGQIIBJDISIII for operating the saw,and a counterbalarming-weighten gaging a part of the support on the opposite side of the upright from the saw and remainin g mechanism, the-upright forming a pivotal means for the remaining mechanism.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ASA v. SNOW Witnesses:

SAMUEL H. LONGLEY, CAROLINE L. THOMPSON. 

